A Little Will

 

It’s been SO long since I’ve really written anything, so I think I’ll try this week to take a day to write about each of my kids.  Long overdue.  I’ll start with the one who has taken over the blog lately. 

William on one of his very first days of practice. 

Will playing football has advanced me to a new stage of mommy-hood.  Up until this point, I’ve managed to remain a stay-at-home mom of small children.  Will’s entry into the world of extra-curriculars has thrown me into the next realm—the “sometimes-I’m-at-home” mom who parents very small children, and then a medium sized one (an a nearly medium sized one).  This is different.  The medium sized child has their own agenda.  Well, they all do, but its expected that now I yield and bend, and make it happen   We now do practices and cub scouts.  And our Saturdays are filled with football chatter and juggling kids to get him to the field on time.  It’s funny what we are willing to do in the name of a well-rounded child.  I’ll tell you what…I’m ok with a rectangular child—maybe with rounded corners.  There is only so much a family can sacrifice for the one.  I can see how this could get wildly out of control if not kept on a tight leash.  

Perhaps it goes without saying, but Will turned 8! (The baptism post may have implied this??)

Will at 8 is a lot of fun.  It’s nice as a mom to see your kids mature a little.  For a while, I wondered if it would ever happen.  He doesn’t love school, but his attitude about it is generally positive.  He is just as literal and concrete as ever.  Always having to double check when we tease or make a joke by asking, “Are you lying?” or “You’re just joking, right?”  Today we had our primary program.  When he was getting up to leave the bench, Josh whispered to him, “Knock ‘em dead”.  Will didn’t hear him correctly and said, “Knock “em down?  Oh, you mean like tackle them”?  That’s just how his brain works. 
Will had a particularly challenging day at school after a string of really great days, and Josh took him for a bike ride that evening.  Josh tried to use the ride as a teaching moment to help Will learn and understand how the challenges he had at school could be corrected just like when he took a wrong turn on his bike.  After Josh finished explaining this Will looked at him, dead serious, and said, “What?!  That’s nothing like school! I just had to turn my bike around!”

He is my kid that doesn’t like it when a sad part comes on a movie or television show because it makes him feel sad “without even trying”.  He will never refuse a hug or a bed time snuggle.  He is tender hearted and kind, and we love him.

Tough!

If “Proud” describes last Saturday for Will, then “Tough” describes this Saturday.  Will was out playing catch with the Frisbee with Josh.  The wind caught the Frisbee causing it to drift toward this grouping of large rocks in the center of the grassy area where they play.  Will, apparently, didn’t realize how close he was to the rocks and still ran for it.  Unfortunately, he tripped.  Went down.  Hard. 

Josh ran over to him expecting to see a lot of blood since his face hit the rocks, but instead saw Will free of blood, but spitting out teeth!  It was pretty traumatic for both Will and Josh.

We took him into a dentist, only to have him say we needed to take him to someone else.  We called someone else only to hear him say that apparently it’s only an emergency when you have blood coming OUT of your teeth.  Busting them into pieces is a wait until Monday type of situation, or if we would have listened to the first guy, wait two weeks! to get it taken care of kind of thing. 

We did wait until Monday, and thankfully, the dentist went ahead and fixed him up real pretty.

It was determined that when he fell, his teeth didn’t actually hit the rock, but his chin came down on the rock forcing his bottom teeth up into his top teeth with so much force that it broke them.  Ouch!

I’d say based on the bruising on his chin, this is probably pretty accurate.

Will’s new teeth.  Kind of like it never happened.

It’s pretty tough to break your front teeth, but it’s even tougher to still play football that same day with that banged up face.  It was his choice, and the dentist said it would be ok, so Will decided that he would like to play in his first, official football game.

At this stage they don’t keep track of the score, but if our own calculations are correct the game ended in a tie

The boys get to play their home games at the brand new high school turf field.  It is an awesome field.  They get to use the big score board, and even have an announcer calling the game!  It’s pretty stinkin’ cool.

Go Falcons!

First Day

 

Here is the back of my boys on the first day of school.  They are waiting for the bus.  Perhaps a picture of the front of my boys would have been a more traditional choice for the “back to school” photo, but I was pretty sure that I would just capture, forever, the sullen, growly disposition of Isaac that morning, so instead I chose to take a picture of the back of him, and then I can picture the front of him filled with excitement and elation as he embarks on furthering his education!  He was not happy to go back to school, to put it mildly.  Almost, embarrassingly so.  He stomped and growled (really, growled, like an animal all the way to the bus stop)

Josie, waiting with them.

After a long time the bus came.  She was running late.  I was very nervous, that Isaac might try to bolt.  I thought there was a good chance he just wouldn’t get on, but…

To my relief (and surprise) when the bus came, he got up, and got on. 

Josie, energetically waving and saying, “Bye boys! See you soon!”

We had done it!  Everyone was on the bus and headed to where they should be.  No fuss, no tears, until…

She realizes they really left her

So Proud!

Even though I have about 50 million other blog posts I need to write (that may be an exaggeration) some things are too good to wait for.  Tonight Josh and I are the most proud parents ever.  There are so many moments in parenthood that leave you wanting to lock yourself in a bathroom somewhere just to escape the insanity, but tonight was one of those moments that makes it all worth while.  Every bit.  Our Will chose to be baptized.

I have been proud of Will and all of my kids many times before, but this was so different.  This was more than a “good for you, buddy!” or a “yay! you did it!” kind of proud, and more like, “I’m so thankful that you have chosen this path—a path that has brought me and your dad the maximum joy and happiness that this life has to offer” kind of proud.  There is no way that Will understands the gravity of what he has done tonight, but the next best thing about tonight is knowing that he is mine to keep teaching him all about it.

As if that wasn’t enough to feel proud of, our little Isaac stood up in front of every body at the baptism and gave a great talk on baptism.  He was brave, and he was so happy to have been a part of Will’s special night.  On the drive home they were chattering all about how when Isaac gets baptized Will gets to give a talk at his baptism. 

Proud.  For a couple of brief hours tonight I had two little boys excited and eager about the gospel, with nary a mention of any bodily function or potty words.  We returned home to have Will open his special gift from Grandma and Grandpa Gardner.  His very own set of scripture with his name engraved on them, and a baptism memory book for us to work on together. 

I may have glossed over what the remainder of my children were doing during the program.  It involved too loud laughter, and wobbly shriek-filled walking as they scampered everywhere, but we’re focusing on the two kids that seemed totally in control and well-behaved…those moments are few and far between around here.

We love you, Will!